When Cardinal Sean O’Malley first visited Cuba in the early 1980s, he made sure to meet with priests in loud, crowded areas, knowing that the government had likely bugged rooms in the church. Outside of the elderly, anyone who tried to attend church services would receive a swift and sure warning to reconsider. “Police would tap you on the shoulder and say ‘I don’t think this is a good idea,’ ’’ O’Malley recalled this week. “They made life impossible for you.’’

Once quirky outliers in the office, employees who prefer to stand at their desks and in meetings are multiplying in corporate America, and companies that supply office goods are reporting sales of height-adjustable furniture up significantly. Office workers who stand up report improved posture, increased productivity and a stronger body core, and recent studies found that desk workers who stood during the workday had less stress and increased flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.

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